Impregnated-felt filler-form.



7 RM y. 1 5% m y WW 4 a I T. M Y J A d 0 Q m R A H, w. SEXTON. IMPREGNATED FELT FILLER FOHN HPFIICAI'ION FILED (JCT 21. I914 AM u w M w @K m J. h. 1 1 H fifi Filler-Forms.

BOY W. SEXTON,.OF WYTHEVILLE, TIBGINIA.

mPnEoNarEn-mm mLtEn-ro an.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed October 21,1614. Serial in. 867,807.

T all whom itmay concern:

.Be it known that I, Ror lrV. SEX'ION, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wytheville, county of Wythe, and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Impregnated-Felt "set forth in the following specification.

This invention relatesto washable filler forms for hand embroidery, such as serve both as a attern forthe embroidery work and use filler to raise the embroidery from the general level of the textile fabric embroidered. The object of the invention is to minimize the cost of manufacture of filler forms and' to producea filler form which is sufliciently tough and strong to withstand rough handling when dis )layed for sale in stores, and to provide all t e desired qualities when incased embroidery threads on an empaper like cellulosicmaterial, from sheets broidered. textile fabric.

The filler forms should not disintegrate so as to fall through found that by admixm Fig. 2 is a plan view'of the finished product; i

Fig. 3 is a section through line ITIIII of Fig. 2; and

'Figii is a section corresponding to that of Fig. 3, but showing, a n'mdification.

It" has been found that compressed cotton batting or wadding is not satisfactory for the manu Eacturc of-filler forms forjembroidery, especially because. the cotton fibers do 'not gfrip one another sulficiently tenacionsly to )revent the bombing and unsightly distortion of a filler form when the embroidered textile fabric is laundried. On account of its ehea ness cotton is, however, a desirable mnteria for. a filler form.

After extended experiments it has been with cotton fiber a percentage oi animalber suchas wool a tenacious fell results suitable for employment in the fabrication of filler forms-for embroidery; Apgggximately 20% wool, to

% cotton has n found to be'satisfacthe COVGPlfl'g of embroidery threads: It t ory. The on p10 ment of animal fiber such should. preserve its form after repeated as wool inthc fa ricationof-ari embroidery washings. It should not discolor the emfoundation mikes a marked improvement in broidered textile fabric and it should notbe the finished article of manufacture. It apdisastrously affected by water orheat from pears that tbs barbed structure of the aniironing. he filler forms should also be mal fibBI'S PIOVldGS a mutu al interlocking flexible. of--the-barbs c n the fibers, which gives to the -Heretofore filler forms for embroidery members of the embroidery foundation an have been made from compressed sheets of. inherent toughness and strength even when i the members are attenuated. This interof compressed cotton wedding; from sheets. .locking of 'tlu barbs on the animal fibers efinade up ofalternate layers of paper like jfeetively vprevents shifting or'bunching of fabric and cotton w'adding, and from sheets the fibers wh .eh' has heretofore been detrimade of alternate layers of a paper-like fab mental to tl .e finished embroiderywhen ric'and a textile fabric. I made over 0 indationsof wedding or .com- In fulfilling the objects of the present pressed cotter batting. ,This artificial fab invention, a radically different fabric-is conric or felted sheet of wool. and cotton is templated, namely, a special mixture of made in, any suitable manner well known in felted fibers impregnated in a peculiar manthe art, and is wound into a coil. or roll 1.

nor. Illustrative embodiments of the inven- If the filler forms in the various desired de-.

tion and the diagrammatic representation of signs are cut from this special. felt without its method of manufacture are shown in the additional triatment, they do not possess accompanying drawings, which form a part all the qualities desired for a iillcuform. of this'application, in which like charac-' They are-llilnsy and are subject to break- .ters designate corresponding parts and in age, especially in the. more attenuated parts which,-

Figure l is a diagrammatic representationofthemethod of manufacture of one form ofthe invention;

of the desigm, such as the stenl u,.of Fig. 2.

It has .been found desirable to impregnate this special felt to render It stiller and stronger. When it is-desi red that-the filler form in the finished embroidery have maximum flexibility the impregnation of the filler form is of such alcharaeter as to be soluble in water, so that/it washes out during the laundrying of the embroidered textile fabric, but not until after it has served the purpose of strengthenilig the tiller tornr to preserve its design and shape during its handling previous to being actually incased in embroidery threads.

In Fig. l the vat 3 contains the impregmating fluid 4 which may be of any suitablekindsoluble in water, such as llour paste. albumen. sizing or even a sa mnaceous solution. The felt l is drawn through'a pair of rolls?) and (t, the roll 6 having'a fluid absorbing covering 7 which carries the impregnating fluid 4 and presses it into the fabric 1. lhe screw adjustable scraper 8 may be adjusted so as to regulate the amount of fluid squeezed into the fabric l to conform to the desired.amount. Surplus liquid adhering to the fabric 1 is scraped off by the scraper t) to run back into the vat 3. The fabric 1 then passes through squeezing rolls 10 and 11 whieh'ell'ect a better distribution of the impregnating l'luid, and in some cases squeeze out a surplus which runs back through the hopper 12 into the vat 3. sired the squeezingrolls l0 and 11 may be steam-heated to commence the drying of the It de-' fabric. As the fabric progresses forward under the impulse o't' the tracking rollers 13,

and 1% it is drawn through a drying oven 15, which should be of sutlicient extent practically to complete the drying of the fabric. On leaving the rollers 13 and ll theautomatically operated knife blades it and 17 shear oil" the fabric into sheets 18,- which may be carried forward by the endless carrier 1t) and fall into a starl: 20 for removal to the stamping machines where the sheets are cut into the desired patterns.

A finished tiller form is shown in Fig. 2 cut into the pattern of a textletter; S. A cross section of this tiller form is shown in Fig. 3. In the manufacture of the fabric of this filler form. the impregnating process has been so regulated as by an adjustment of v the scraper 8 that the impregnatingllnid l did not completely saturate the fabric 1;

The heavy stippling 21 inthe' cross section of Fig. ,3, indicates the extent of \the impregnaton while the lighter stippling 22 shows the part of the fabric .1 which is not impregnated. A transversely arched cross section is imparted to the various members a, b, 0, etc., of the filler form A. This is shown particularly well in Fig. 3. It is also indi cated how a. Jortion along the top face and at the edge 0 the members of the filler form i removed when the impregnation does not extend completely through the fabric-1. so as to leave a beveled terminal edge or face such as 23 and 24.

' vent which is itself inflammable.

In Fig. '4 is shown a cross section 1L through a filler form, the same as I; except that the fabric 1. has been completely impregnated as indicated by the u iform stippling 25. The beveled edgesv faces are not solnarked in this structure.

Even when employing the special felt described herein. namely, part animal fiber, and part vegetable fiber such as cotton. it is desirable for some kinds of embroidery to increase the strength of the filler form otherwise inherent in the special felt and to increase this strength in a permanent manner so that it will remain after the laundrying ot' the embroidered textile fabric. on which the. tiller forms are used. A water-insoluble impregnating fluid is employed for th'-s purpose. This insoluble fluid may be described generically as a' cellulose derivative and is limited to such a derivative as is'solnble in some. solvent other than water, so that it may be applied to the felt as a liquid which thickens and solidifies into a flexible st. 3 ener.

(-ollodion has been employed. Acetyl eel lnlose dissolved in chloroform or nitro-loen zole may be employed.

It is, of course. however, preferable that the. impregnating tiller be o such a charac' ter as to withstand heat and not be inflammable. 'l o'this end a water and heat resisting gelatin .lormed by treating gelatin with formaldehyde as described in United States Letters Patent to Ilanser, No. 572.295 granted Dec. 1, ISM; may be employed. More preferably a solution of water-proof non-combustible cellulose derivative formed by disscdving tri-acetyl cellulose in a suitable solution such as acetic ether or acetone (five parts by weight of tri-acetyl cellulose dissolved in :wventeen parts by weight acetic ether) is satisfactory. Another preferred ter-resisting qualities is asolution of celluloid. am vl nitrate and acetyl either in suitable proportions. .To this solution a little more'than a trace of castor oil makes an improvement in the-final flexibility of the filler orm.

When ii-npre' nating the special felt with the solutions oi cellulose derivative it is desi able to inclose the vats and impregnating rollers so as to confine the easily. evaporating solution. Care is necessary in protecting the fabric during the drying out of the sol- It is, of course, to be understood that any suitable apparatusfor carrying out the process is avaiiflble ahd that the rollefS as'for instance those shown in Fig. 1 are to be suitably driven as by belts or gearil'ig.

v The special felt may either be made by completely impregnating throughout its thickness with the cellulose derivative fluid as shown in Fig. i or may be only partly filler, this soluble filler impregnated from the bottom np'as shown in Fig. 3.

When the fabric from which the filler forms are cut, is impregnated with a soluble aannot be termed a permanent filler because/0t the fact that it is washed out in lanndrying, When the tiller washed there. is more tendency for the filler form to hunrh or become uneven in its distribution -under the embroidery thrQaL'lH than when it is toughened and strengthened with a filler. When the. insoluble filler. preferably at a cellulose derivative, is employed, the filler may be termed a permanent tiller and continually lends toughness and strength to the filler form without in'ipairing its flexibility.

In the finished embroidery it may be re garded as an advantage. to have the eii'eet of the soft yielding cushion inherent in the said felt at least immediately under the covering of eulbroidery threads. This ad- \nntageons quality may be available when at the same time the liller form as a whole is protected against hunehinnor distortion even under the most severe handling, both before the tiller form is embroidery. as when it is onsale, and utter embodiment in. the einbroidtl' and even after the. hnnulryingo'l the same. The preferred acenm -ilishmenl he r-alled a double impregnation of the Fabric of the tiller lorms. .X'bottom -ilupregi-iation, as indicated by the heavy stipplingit in Fig. 3, is made with an insoluble. [ill er such as dtaserihed above. Then the upper lll\i.l\l pregnatcd serlion of the fabric ol the. liller form. that indh-aled by light stippling 2; in Fig. H. is impregnated with a liller. -',l'lnis the resulting: liller form is eona pletely reinforced throughout its cross seetion. so far as handling prior to application to the embroiderml fabric is uoncerm-d. As aoonas the lll|ll|l )l(l(l'l(l 'labrio containing this lillee't'orm is laundried, portion ol the l'IU$:-' S('(ti0ll oi the (that indicated by light stippling lill-er form :22,- m

embodied in the.

of this result may soluble.

the top or outer Fig. 3) has remov -d fromit the'soluble filler and regainsthe soft onshiondike quality of the special felt, \;hile the filler form as' a whole is satisfactorily reinforced againt bunehing or distn'tion, even under'rough handling, by the insoluble filler indicated by the heaystip iling 21 in Fig. 3, In addition t0 tlii. top portion of the filler form regaining its ensl ion-like quality when the soluble filler'is re moved therefrom; it tends to expand and becfmiu much more tintt'y than when held in compression by the soluble tiller. The result isa lifting, especially in the mid-portion t the eovering embroidery threads and a rounding over or 0d at the edges of the pattern embodied by the filler form. This-ex): nsion at the washing out or' the soluble. fil'er deridedly improves the ama-arance oi tln linished embroidery.

What is rl'aime l andwhat is desired to he secured by Letters Patent is washable fill -r-t'orm embodying an embroider design adapted to be completely (covered by embrt idery threads and comprising a flexible for a body of compressed; nnwoven fibrous ma terial. matted together, an imairporated sob hie binding agent extending from 0ne;sl rface. inward a fractional part of the entire cross-section, by which the material is stiffened and held under partial transverse. eomprassion. said soluble binding agent being reuu vable. by washing to permit the, portion oP'tle form im-or mrated therewith to expand. and an im-orporated water insoluble hinding' agent extending from the other surface of the, form a frat'tiooal dis lam'e i|i\vard..liy which the malcrial is stifl'ened and held under transverse. compression. v I

'Tn.wit-uess w iere'nf, T have. signed my illlllll' to this sperilieation. in the presence of two subsurihing witnesses.

lh( )Y W. SICX'H )N';

v Witnesses: \l'anros llaumson, l1. Ai/rnas. 

